USA Weightlifting would like to congratulate the following Youth World Championship team members. We would like to wish them the best of luck as the Strongest Youth in America prepare to represent USA Weightlifting in Kosice, Slovakia from September 16th-22nd.

The 2012 Youth World Championship competition begins today. Team USA lifters and staff all have arrived.

A month after the London Games, 38 countries have entered 251 competitors in this championship in Kosice, the second largest city in the Slovak Republic.

In addition to the IWF live scoreboard, the Slovakian Federation will webcast the event on its official YWC website the first such broadcast of an IWF world championship. The live broadcast link can be found here.

Later today, the first Team USA competitor, Youth American Record holder Sydney Goad, competes in the 44 kg A category.

Lifting in her first world championship, Sydney Goad totaled 110 kg, breaking her Youth American Record of 109 kg set at the Youth National Championships in June, in the process setting a clean & jerk record as well. Her third attempt 63kg jerk exceeded Goad's own 62 kg American Record.

Competing in their first international competition, Mason Groehler and Patrick Forrester totaled 206 kg and 194 kg respectively, to finish fourth and eighth in the 62 kg B session at the Youth World Championships.

Groehler completed six of six platform attempts, setting a clean and jerk personal record at 115kg, and two personal record totals at 203 kg and 206 kg.

Forrester completed all three attempts in the snatch, setting a personal record 87 kg on his third in a four for six day on the platform.

After a successful first attempt clean and jerk with 107 kg, Forrester cleaned 112 kg on this second and third attempts, only to miss the jerk on both efforts.

Competing in her first world level international competition, Shelby Koren totaled 143 kg, to finish first in the 53 kg B session at the Youth World Championships.

Koren set a new Youth American Record in the clean and jerk at 82 kg, breaking the record previously held by her sister, Ashley, at 81 kg in a breakout performance. Her second attempt 61 kg snatch was a personal record.

Koren finished five for six overall on the day, setting one American and seven personal records - one snatch, three jerk, and three total -, in the process shattering her previous total personal record 132 kg by 11 kg.

Competing in his first international competition, Luis Verdiales totaled a personal record 223 kg, to finish fifth in the 69 kg B session at the Youth World Championships.

Verdiales set a snatch personal record of 95 kg on his second attempt, missing 98 kg on his third. After a successful first attempt 123 kg clean and jerk, Verdiales missed, then made 128 kg, in a four for six performance.

Natalie Stockel, competing in her second Youth World Championship, totaled a personal record 149 kg, to finish seventh in the 58kg A session at this year's competition, in a four for six performance on the day.

Stockel snatched 68 kg on her second attempt, missing her third behind with a personal record 70 kg. After tying her personal record 81 kg clean and jerk on her second attempt, Stockel cleaned 84 kg on her third, but missed the jerk.

Koy Saelee and Alexis LiCalsi, competing in their first Youth World Championship, totaled 143 kg and 157 kg, finishing tenth and eighth in the 63 kg A session at this year's competition. LiCalsi's total was a personal record.

Saelee successfully completed her first attempt 63 kg snatch, then missed 65 kg behind twice. LiCalsi made 67 kg on her first attempt, completed 71kg on her second, but was turned on a two to one decision, missing the same weight on her third attempt.

In the clean and jerk, Saelee completed 80 kg on her first attempt, followed by two misses at 85 kg, cleaning both, but unable to complete the jerk on either of the next two attempts.

LiCalsi opened with a successful 86 kg, missed 90 kg on a press out, then made the same weight on her third attempt, tying her personal record.

Nathan Damron to follow tomorrow in the 77 kg category, then Ian Howerton and Daniel Wiitanen in the 85 kg category later in the day.

Nathan Damron, competing in his first international weightlifting competition, totaled 226 kg, finishing ninth in the 77 kg B session at the Youth World Championships.

After a first attempt miss at 100 kg, Damron made made successive snatches of 100 kg and 105 kg. After a successful 121 kg first attempt clean and jerk, Damron missed 126 kg twice, the final attempt close but lost behind, in a three for six performance overall.

Ian Howerton and Daniel Wiitanen, competing in their first Youth World Championship, totaled 247 kg and 249 kg, finishing fifteenth and fourteenth overall in the 85 kg category at this year's competition.

Wiitanen completed three successful snatches, the second and third, at 105 kg and 107 kg, personal records. After making two successful snatches at 102 kg and 107 kg, Howerton missed his third at 112 kg.

Howerton opened in the clean and jerk with a successful 140 kg, then cleaned 144 kg and 145 kg, but was unsuccessful with the jerks.

Wiitanen succeeded with 130 kg,137 kg and 142 kg. His second and third attempts were personal records

Overall , Wiitanen set seven personal records - two snatch, two clean and jerk, and three total, in a six for six performance on the day.

Marissa Klingseis and Jaclyn Beed in the 69+ category, Tayler Jakubsen in the 94 kg category, and Michael Johnson in the 94+ kg category, lift tomorrow, the final day of competition.

Tayler Jakubsen, competing in his first Youth World Championship, totaled 273 kg, finishing seventh in the 94 kg B session at this year's competition.

In the snatch, Jakubsen completed 120 kg and 125 kg, missing 130 kg on his third attempt. The 125 kg equalled his personal record. After making 141 kg on his first attempt clean and jerk, Jakubsen missed the clean with 148 kg on his second, then completed the lift on his third, in a four for six performance.

Marissa Klingses and Jaclyn Beed, competing in in the 69+ kg category at the Youth World Championship, totaled 205 kg and 165 kg, finishing sixth and eleventh in this year's competition.

After missing her first attempt 88 kg snatch, Klingseis then made the lift, before a miss at 92kg on her third attempt. Beed opened with a successful 75 kg, then missing twice with 80 kg.

In the clean and jerk, Klingseis made her first two attempts at 113 kg and 117 kg, tying her personal record, before a third attempt miss at 121 kg. Beed made her first attempt 87 kg, then succeeded with 90 kg, before a third attempt miss at 92 kg.

Both Klingseis and Beed finished the day with three for six performances.

Michael Johnson follows in the 94+ kg A session to conclude the competition

At the conclusion of the 2012 Youth World Championships, Team USA women finished fifth overall from among twenty two teams entered, scoring 359 points. Team USA men finished twelveth of thirty three teams entered, scoring 262 points.

Complete results detail for the competition may be found in the IWF Results Book download at: